Starting today, Mealshare – the innovative program to promote local restaurants while donating food to charities – is adding more Edmonton restaurants to its stable, including Blue Plate Diner, Tiramisu Bistro and Niche.

I wrote a story about Mealshare in the summer, when Mealshare co-owner, Jeremy Bryant of Edmonton (at right), talked to me about the registered non-profit’s ambitious plans to help restaurants promote themselves, while helping people in need of food.

The Mealshare program sees restaurants donate money to food agencies based on how many diners buy a particular Mealshare-starred dish in the restaurant. In Edmonton, that agency is the Hope Mission, and internationally, Mealshare also supports the Children’s Hunger Fund. Mealshare also operates in Calgary, where money is donated to The Drop-In and Rehab Centre.

With the new eateries joining Mealshare, Edmonton now has 25 restaurants on the local roster.

Bryant says that Mealshare, which also operates in Vancouver and Victoria through Bryant’s business partner, Andrew Hall, has just provided its 7000th meal to someone in need. You can see the meal counter and participating restaurants on Mealshare’s website at: www.mealshare.ca

More than half of the money Mealshare receives from restaurants goes directly to the charities. The rest goes to Mealshare for its business operation.

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